Martin Luther King III

Martin Luther King III Profile

With the past year’s astounding display of social injustice, violence, and confusion around the pandemic, perhaps at no other time in recent history has our world needed the clear thinking and solutions-oriented voice of civil rights advocate and global humanitarian Martin Luther King III.

From speaking to thousands at the August 2020 March On Washington to his dozens of arrests during peaceful protests, Mr. King is shepherding the healing of our nation and the world, connecting the important lessons of the past with the critical needs of our future and motivating a new generation of authentic leaders.

As the oldest son of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King III is a thought leader on the world stage, a peace maker, and a negotiator on some of today’s most critical national and international platforms for social change.

Amplifying the work of his father, Mr. King has devoted his life to promoting global human rights and eradicating racism, violence, and poverty, earning a reputation as a respected international statesman and one of the world’s most passionate advocates for the poor and oppressed.

Most recently, Mr. King has taken over leadership of the Drum Major Institute, the only nonprofit organization actually started by his father over 60 years ago. With a focus on continuing the King legacy through education, action, engagement with world leaders, and collaboration with socially conscious organizations, the work of the Drum Major Institute is as important today as it was then, inspiring individuals to embrace their unique contribution to peace, justice, and equity for all.

Continuing his father’s vision is the backbone of his life’s work. After graduating in 1979 from his father’s Alma mater, Morehouse College, with a B.A. in political science, Mr. King continued his public service by supporting various social change movements through his speaking and writing. A humble but persistent worker both publicly and behind the scenes, Mr. King patiently negotiated a compromise between Georgia legislators and leaders to change the state flag that was an offensive and divisive symbol for many Georgians.

Throughout the 1990s, Mr. King continued the fight for justice by addressing the moral and political dilemmas of Haiti, Nigeria, Australia, and Sierra Leone. He has spoken to the United Nations on behalf of those living with the challenges of AIDS.

In 1998, Mr. King began his service as the elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference — an organization co-founded by his father — focusing on the police brutality and racial profiling hearings in several states and leading to the passage of several resolutions that make racial profiling illegal.

In 2006, he founded Realizing the Dream, Inc., which eventually merged with The King Center in 2010, and took his father’s message to a global audience by spearheading nonviolence training in Bosnia Herzegovina, India, Israel, Palestine, Kenya, Sri Lanka, and the United States.

In August 2008, Mr. King spoke on behalf of the Democratic Party presidential nominee, Senator Barack Obama, at the Democratic National Convention. The timing was both historical and inspirational, marking the 45th anniversary of his father’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

Martin Luther King, III is the recipient of numerous awards and several honorary degrees, including one of India’s most prestigious honors for outstanding contributions to the promotion of human rights. Mr. King is the husband of Arndrea Waters King and father of a young daughter, Yolanda Renee King, the only grandchild of Martin Luther King III. The entire family is dedicated to sharing the impactful Kingian message to inspire a collective of new collaborators and world-changers.